Apparatus for generating gas



[No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. LOOMIS. APPABATUS POR GENERATING GAS.

No. 583,915. Patented June 8, 1897.

All? fEATE/' HVVENT OR, Ma M A TT QENE Y.

W/ T NE S 555.'

(No Moden' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. LOOMIS. APPARATUS POR GENBBATING GAS.

No. 583,915. Patented June 8,189?.

NVENTOR flam 6% A TT ORNE Y. v

(No Mod el.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

B. LOOMIS.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS. No. &383,915. Patented June 8,1897.

W] TNESSES: !N VEN TOR.

%W I ZMWW A TZORNE Y.

7 UNITED STATES PATENT Grupe,

BURDETT LOOMlS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS.

SPECIFICATION formig part of Letters Patent No. 583,*915, dated June 8, 1897.

Application filed .April 9, 1894. 'Serial No. 506304. (No model.)

TO all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BURDETT LOOMIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Hydrocarbon Gas; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus for generating gas from hydrocarbon liquid or vapor or from a mixture of such vapor and watergas. The rich carbureted hydrogen gas produced is particularly adapted for carburetin g water-gas or other low-grade gas to produce illuminating-gas of the desired candle-power.'

The object of ny invention is to provide for subjectin g hydrocarbon vapor to an increasing temperature as it rises in vertical retorts, so as to insure its Conversion into fixed gas."

Another object is to provide for the ready removal of tarry matter, scot, and hard carbon from the vertical retort Without interrupting the gas-making operation.

Another object is to provide an apparatus which is simple in Construction in which the retorts are adapted to expand and contract or yield under the action of varying temperatures without injury to the shell of the furnace.

Another object is to provide simple and effective means for heating the retorts by the combustion of fuel-gas, injected by suitable burner devices spirally around the retorts and downward through the furnaceshell, Whereby they are economically and unifornly heated. w

Myimproved apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a Vertical section of the apparatus on line a: x, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section on line w w, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents an elevation of the generating apparatus, showing the closed tar-Well at the base in section, Fig. 4: represents a top plan View. Fig. 5 represents a horizontal section through the furnace-shell at the burnerports on line y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 represents a horizontal section through the closed tar-well on line ,2 ;2 Fig.

Fig. 7 represents a vertical section, on enlarged scale, through one of the retorts, showing the oil-supply pipes and spreader. Fig. 8 represents a cross-section online S 8 in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 represents a Vertical section on line 9 9 in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 represents a vertical section of my apparatus in aslightly-nodified form. Fig. 11 represents avertical section taken at right an gles to the plan of section in Fig. 10, showing a section of the hee-ters for air, gas, and oil.

The furnace-shell inclosing the vertical retorts is constructed of au outer iron jacket A of cylindrical or elliptical form and a lining of fire-brick B, forming the retort and combustion-chamber C, in which are set the vertical retorts D.

According to the Construction shown in Figs. l to 9 fire-clay retorts are used, and

`four of theni are shown in position supported at their lower ends by the iron plate E, which may rest either upon the columns X, as in Fig. 1, or upon the closed tar-well G, as in Fig. 3. The plate E is provided with openings corresponding to the shape of the inside cross-section of the retorts forpermittin g flow of tar, 8:0., into the Well G below. The lower ends of the retorts are here firmly set in brick- Work resting on plate E, but their upperends pass loosely through the crown of the combustion-chamber for permitting expansion and contraction without in j ury to the f urnaceshell. The furnace-shell A is preferably extended a short distance above the brick crown ot' the furnace, thus providing a space which is filled to the depth of four or five inches with dry sand, as indicated in l. The lower ends of the retorts are provided with extensions or dip-pipes H, which may be secured to the bottom plate E, and extend down into the liquid in tar-Well Gr, as shown in Fig. 1, to prevent the escape of gas or vapor. The well G is provided with an over-flowpipe t.

ICO

which is sealed by the liquid, as shown in Fig. 3. The upper ends ot' the retorts are closed by suitable mouthpieces and capplates. The re-clay retorts may be made in two sections, as shown in Fig. 1.

The furnace-shell and retorts are preferably heated by combustion of fuel-gas, which is supplied by the injector-burners a, which are arranged in an inelined or tan gential position in the inclined ports a' in the cylindrical shell, as shown in Fig. 5. In practice both gas and air are supplied under pressure to the burners and jets of ignited gas, or flames are forced tangentially against the wall of the furnace and caused to circulate around the retorts, and the resulting products are also circulated around the retorts in their passage downward to the escape-fiue f at the base of the furnace-shell, as shown in Fig. 1. The burners A are supplied with gas from the main F by the connecting-pipe b, having suitable Valves, and they are supplied with hot air from the air-heater by the main E' and the connecting-pipes c, also provided with valves, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The air and gas are intimately mixed in burners A and burn with complete conbustion on issuing from the burner. The flame and products of combustion, on account of being circulated around the retorts and passed downward, are held for a longer time in contact with the retorts, and therefore most effectively and economically heat them before escaping through fiuef at the base of the furnace-shell. By means of the damper 19 in the smoke-stack and the rod or chain 1)' the flame and products of combustion may be held under pressure in chamber C and also in chambers J and K until their heat is better utilized.

By the method above described the retorts are evenly heated all around, and their heat is gradually increased from their upper toward their lower ends, so that the oil, passing downward, gives off successively the vapors and gas from hydrocarbon of increasing gravity until the valuable portion is converted into gas, while the residual tarry matter and carbon drops into the well G.

In case of very long retorts, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, two sets of bnrners are placed at different heights to insure the uniform and thorough heating of the retorts. The combustion-chamber C is also enlarged at the level of the burners to prevent overheating at such points and provide for a better and freer development of the flame.

The air-heating chamber J is oonstructed of brick, having an iron jacket, and is mounted upon a suitable foundation. It is provided near the base with a perforated archj and below such arch conne'ts with the base of chamber C by fine f. In the chamber J is arranged one or more series of connecting-pipes h, through which air is passed in a downward zigzag direction, while waste products of conbustion from chamber C pass up between the pipes, thereby heating the air, and thence up through pipe g into the oilheating chamber K. The oil-heater consists of a number of shallowiron boxes i, connecting by means of pipesj', forning a zigzag passage or fine for the products of combustion, which flow over and between the boXes, as indicated by the arrows, thereby heating the oil to a moderate temperature. An oiltank L, which in practice is closed at the top, eonneets by pipe Z, having a check-valve r and a closing-valve s, with the upper box of the oil-heater. An outlet-pipe O connects with the lower box of the heater and also with a cross-pipe m, with which there connects the branch pipes n, which supply oil to the retorts. In practice the pipes are provided with valves for controllin g the flow of oil into the retorts. The pipes n lead downward to the conical spreader R, which is preferably made of iron and is provided with a central hollow neck or stern 'r', by means of which it is connected to the lower ends of the pipes n, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The spreader R is made with a conical upper sur" face, and in plan or horizontal section is of the same shape as the inside of the retorts,

but of smaller area, so that a narrow space would be left between its edges and the interior of the retort, as shown in Figs. 7 and S. Projections or lugs r are provided at its edges for holding it in position and-providing a narrow passage between it and the wall of the retort. The spreader R is made with a central passage for permitting the escape of vapor and gas to the take-off pipes.

The gas take-off pipes N lead from the mouthpieces at the tops of the retorts into the hydraulic main M, where they dip into the scaling liquid in the usual manner. An outlet-p'ipe P connects with main M for conducting gas to a nixing chamber or holder or other place of use.

In some cases I may construct the retorts D of wrought-iron or steel tubes, such as shown in Figs. lO and 11, in which are shown twelve of such tubes arranged in two rows in a furnace of elliptical shape in cross-section. The retorts are provided at their upper ends with fianged rings (l, by means of which they are Suspended in the furnace, said fianged rings resting upon short flanged tubes rising from the cap-plate B' of the shell, as shown in Fig. 10. The lower end of the tubular retorts pass through stuffing-boxes V, connected to the bottom plate E, said boxes being filled with asbestos or other suitable packin g. This Construction allows expansion and contraction or warping without injury to the shell of the furnace or the retorts. The lower ends of the retorts are closed by caps t'.

The retorts D may be readily lifted out of the furnace and replaced after having first removed the mouthpieces and pipes N leading to the hydraulic main.

The oil-heating chamber K may be construeted of brick and connect with the bottom ICO escape-fine f of the furnace, as shown in Fig. 11. In said chamber K are arranged the heating-pipesj, in which the oil is preferably Vaporized. The oil-vapor is earried to the retorts by pipes O and branch pipes m having valves u -for controlling the flow to each retort. A percentage of water-gas maybe adnitted by a pipe (not here shown) directly into the pipe 0 or into the lower ends of the retorts. Rods u' may connect with the working floor above to valves to, whereby the operator can Conveniently test the quality of the gas as' it enters the hydraulic main and at once increase or diminish the supply of vapor to the retort, as it may be necessary. The flow of hot products of conbustion and the degree of heat inparted to the oil-pipesj are controlled by the damper 19 in the chimney or smoke-steel: g connecting with the top of chanber K.

Both air and gas for combustion are preferably heated in the heating-chamber J, the air being heated in the four lower sets of pipes q and the gas in the three upper sets of pipes 71. A damper p in the chimney controls the'fiow of products of combustion through the heaterf ,The furnace-shell may be either elliptical or circular in cross-section, according to the number of .retorts which are set in it. The furnace-shell is preferably elliptical when twelve retorts are used, as shown in Figs. 10 and ll, but is preferably made circular when eight retorts are used.

In case the oil is vaporized in heater K the vapor is preferably conducted by pipe O and branch pipes m to the lower ends of the retorts. On entering the 'retort the vapor is expanded and is converted into a fixed gas as it passes Upward to the take-off pipes N at the 'tops of' the heaters. p

hen oil is introduced into the retort, it falls through pipes n on to the conical spreader R, which distributes it over the inside surface of the retort, down which it slowly runs giving cit its vapor until all the valuable gas-makin g portion is vaporized, and the residual tarry matter and car-bon then pass into the well Gr. As the hydrocarbon vapors rise in the retort they are subjected to a sufficiently high temperature to Convert them into fixed gas, which finally passes off from the tops of the retorts through the pipes N to the hydraulic main M.

The expansion of the retorts is vertical as is also the expansion of the iron jacket and brick linin g,so that neither the retorts nor furnace-shell are subjected to the strains which cause injury to horizontally-set benches of retorts. My method of heating the retorts by fuel-gas is economical, and the amount or degree of heat is readily controlled. By means of the Simplicity of Construction and arrangement of parts accuracy of operation and improved results are Secured.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination with the furnace-shell having tangential openings, as a', near the top and an escape-flue at or near the bottom and Vertical retorts, of the injector-burners set in said tangential openings for giving the fiane and hot products a spiral movement around the retorts from top to bottom, an air-heating chamber connecting with said escape-fine at the bottom of the retort-chamber and containing series of connected airheating pipes and a pipe connecting said airheating pipes with the injector-burners, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the f urnace-shell, having inclined or tangential openings and burners in its walls and an escape-fine at its lower end and the retorts, of an air-heating chamber 'as J containing heating-pipes, an oil-heating chamber containing means as connected boxes i' for heating oil and a pipe connecting the oil-heater with the retorts,

said heating-chambers being connected bypipe g, and by said escape-fine to the combustion-chamber of the furnace, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BURDETT LOOMIS.

YVitnesses:

BURDETT LooMIs, J r., HAWLEY PETTIBONE. 

